Detachable circulating-water-heater unit



F. THORNTON, In, AND F. F. FORSHEE.

DETACHABLE CIRCULATING WATER HEATER UNIT.

APPLICATION FILED 1ULYI9. i920-,

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.4

INVENTORS Frank Thornton, Jr:

:I III IWW III@ INIT u HI Patented Dec. 12, 41922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK THORNTON, JR., OF MANSFIELD, OHIO, AND FRANK F. FORSHEE, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC PRODUCTS COMPANY, A COR PORATION OF MICHIGAN.

DETACHABLE CIRCULATING-VVATERHEATER UNIT.

Application filed .Tuly 19, 192). Serial No. 397,421.

T0 all rfi/710m it may concern Be it known that we, FRANK THORNTON, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mansiield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, and FRANK F. FonsHEn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Detachable Circulating-Water-l-leater Units, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to electricallyheated apparatus and particularly to elec trical water heaters.

' It has for one of its objects to provide a simple and relatively inexpensive form of water heater' which may be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled.

Another object of our invention is to provide a unitary type of heating element which may be assembled in any desired number of units and which shall employ novel means for electrically connecting the different units to each other and to the contact terminals.

In practicing our invention, we provide a plurality of substantially semi-tubular refractory resistor-supporting members, each member having a plurality of open longitudinally extending resistor supporting grooves in the inner face thereof and a resistor wire located therein. W'e provide a ventilated terminal box located beneath the heating element and means for electrically connecting the heating elements together and to the terminals in the terminal box, said connecting means serving also to hold the several semi-tubular refractory supporting members in proper operative position relative to each other.

Referring to the single sheet of drawings,

Figure l is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of a device embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a ycross-sectional view, along the l line Irl-II of F ig. l, of the device with the heat-insulating material removed;

Fig 3 is a top plan view of the refractory resistor-supporting member;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the member shown in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a side view of the device embodying our invention as assembled and mounted in connection with the ordinary type of hotwater tank.

A tubular member l has mounted at each end thereof a T-type connection 2. The outer open -end of each of the members 2 may be closed by a plug 3 as shown. A lateral opening is provided in the member 2 into which the short length of pipe l (see Fig. may be screwed to permit of water connection being made with an ordinary hotswater tank 5. While the use of the members 2 and the plugs 3 is not essential to the operation of the device, it is highly desirable, as their use permits the easy removal of any mineral matter which may be deposited in the tubular member l during the operation of the heater.

A substantially semi-tubular refractory resistor-supportingmember is provided with a plurality of longitudinall'y-extending resistor-siumorting cylindrical chambers 7 below its inner face. Eachof the chambers Y connects with a groove 8 which is co-eX- y tensive with the chamber 7, both groove and chamber being relatively shorter than the refractory member 6. rl`he side walls of the groove 8 are substantially radial to the center of the cylindrical chamber 7 and are so located as to enclose an angle of substantially 900 therebetween.

A helically wound resistor wire 9 is located in the chambers 7 and has its terminals connected to contact terminals 10 which arer shown in the drawing as comprising a short screw located in a radially-extending slot 11.

A fiat bar or strap member 12 is used as a current conducting member between the terminal members lO of the heating element proper and contact members 13 mounted on a suitable base 14 of insulating material located beneath the heating elements in a manner to be hereinafter set forth. The bar members 'l2 serve not only to conduct the current to and from the resistor itself but also serve as means for holding two or more of the refractory resistor-supporting members 6 in operative position relative to each other. If it. is desired to build up a heating element of relatively small capacity, two of the semi-tubular members 6 only may be employed, while, if it is desired to build up a heating element of greater capacity,

tivo, or even more of the members mav be located one ebove the other and the le the bar members 12 may be made su they will be practically co-e. overall length ot the asses lcd merel ,V 'f f" ln order that the contact` terminals 153 and 13 may operate at a relatively low teni perature, they are located beneath the heating element proper .in a ventilated terminal chamber 14A. A substantially cylindrical plate 15, having' circular opening 1G therein, slightly larger in diameter than the diameter oit the member l, forms the bottom plate ot the chamber l smaller plete 17 is spaced apart trom. the plato l5 by Ineens of a cylindrical member 18, vwhich member is provided with ventilet' g holes 19, and has provision at one piece on its periphery tor suitably niountingj,` a. control switch 20. The insulstiro base lll is seA cured to the member l. by mee.. or screw 2l.

.e suitable insulating' bushing Q2 located in the member 15, througl .vhich conductors 23 a supply circuit may be brought a il suitably connected. to the switch S20. Suitopenings 2li are provided in the member 1li through which the bar members extend When the device is assembled. A. substantially circular cover inou-.ber 25 is provided at the top of the :isseinleled heat ing,` device. A body ot heet-insulatine, tcrial .26 is located immediately outside the assembled semi-tubular members 6 and may be 'further held in its operative poiltion by means ot a cover nber 2"? comprising bent thin sheet metal, the top and bottom edges of which held by the flanges 28 on the members 1'? and 25.

litter the desired number oit seinietubular members 6 have been assembled in longiallv alincd operative position and held place by means ot the bar members 'l2 and` Mcrews 10, the tivo sets oli semi-tubular members 6 may be assemble 'i place aoove the terniinal chamber 1d@ on the base 17 by inserting' the lower end ot the menibers l2 into openings 24; and forcing;` them into operative engagement with the contact terminals 13 which. as shown in toe drawing', may comprise resilient jaws ot the 'usual tjgfpe used in lrniilie sivitcl The heat-insulatingg materiel pre-termed to substantially semi-tubular shape, may then be applied to the out of the tubular members 6 after which the sheet cover member 27 may be placed in operative position and the cover member 25 placed in position and secured by screws (not shown).

Fig. 5 shows the device as assembled and connected by means et pieces ot' pipe fr and 29 to the ordinary hot-Water tank 5.

i lt will be noted that our invention provides a relatively simple and easily assembled device in which a relatively large part oit the heet is radiated directly against Ihe outer surace ol the fluid conducting member in which any desired number ot' reor-supporting members may ie combined :t heating device ol the desired heat capacity. @ur device also provides novel and effective ineens for connecting;- the various units ot the device to each other, these means serving;` also to hold the resistor supporting,` members in proper' operative relation to each other.

lll/'hilo We have illustrated a specificem bodiment ot the device einbodying` our invention, various changes may be made therein without departii'ig Yfrom the suirit and scope oli our invention and wedesire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as imposed by the prior art or are specilicall;y set troth in tbe appended claims.

l'ile claim is our invention:

. lin an electrical heating apparatus, the combination with a refractory supporting member et arcuate shape in lateral cross section, having plurality of longitudinally extending' grooves in one surface thereof, of helirally-Wound resistor' located in said {,iooves7 end terminal members operatively engaging; the ends ot' said resistor.

2. ln an electrical heating apipiaratus, the combination With refractory supporting member ot substantially semi-tubular shape, having s plurality o'l longitudinally extendintr grooves in the inner surface thereof, of e. lielically-wound resistor Wire located in said grooves, and terminal members operatively engaging the ends oit said resistor Wire.

3. ln an electrical Water beater, the combination with a plurality of superposed refractory supportino' members of substany semi-tubular shape having; a plurality inner surface thereof, a resistor located in seit/l grooves, and terminal members on the iside of said supportiner member connected to the eues ot said resistor of current-conducting and suppertingY-nember-alining means electrically connected to said terminal members and entendinfg` longitudinally of seid pporting` members.

it, ln an electrical Water heater. the combii ieu with a plurality ot substantially semi-tubular retrectory supporting members each having' plurality ol' longitudinallycvtendin., grooves in the inner 'tace thereof, ot a helically-Wound resistor located in said grooves, supply-circuit terminal members, and means 'for electrically connectingthe resistors in the supporting members to each other and to the supply-circuit terminals.

5. ln an electrical water heater, the coinbination with s tubular fluid container, of

plurality of substantially semi-tubular reractory members each having a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves in its inilo ner face, a resistor located in the grooves of each of said refractory members, a terminal chamber located below said refractory members, contact terminals located in said chamber, and means for electrically connecting the various resistors to each other and to the contact terminals.

6. In an electrical Water heater, the combination with a tubular container, of a plurality of substantially,semi-tubular refractory members each having a plurality of lollgitudinally-extending grooves in its inner surface, an electrical heating means located in ysaid grooves, a terminal box adapted to support said refractory rmembers, contact clips in said terminal box, and means for electrically connecting said. heating means to each other and to the contact'clips.

7. In an electrical Water heater, the combination with a tubular container, of a plurality of substantially semi-,tubular refractory-supporting members, each having a plurality of -longitudinally-extending grooves in its inner surface, an electrical heating means located in said grooves, a terminal box surrounding said tubular container and adapted to support said refractory members, contact clips in said terminal box, means for electrically connecting said heating means to each other and to the contact clips, and means surrounding said refractory supporting members for holding them in operative position relative to said tubular container and for reducing the amount of heat radiated from the outside of said refractory supporting member.

8. An electrical Water heater comprising a terminal box, contact terminals therein, a plurality of longitudinally grooved substantially semi-tubular refractory resistor-supporting members mounted on said terminal box, a resistor mounted in the grooves in said refractory supporting members, and means extending longitudinally of said resistor supporting members for electrically connecting said resistors to said contact terminals by placing said supporting members in proper operative position on said terminal box. A

9. An electrical Water heater comprising a terminal box, contact terminals therein, a plurality of substantially semi-tubular cooperating refractory resistor-supporting members mounted on said terminal box, a resistor mounted in the inside face of said resistor-supporting members, means for electrically connecting said resistors and said contact terminals, and circuit controlling means mounted on said terminal box.

10. In an electrical Water heater, the combina-tion With a ventilated terminal box and contact terminals therein of a plurality of substantially semi-tubular refractory supporting members supported by said terminal box, a resistor located in each of said supporting members, and means for electrically connecting said resistors to each other and to the contact terminals and for maintainin said refractory supporting members in their operative position.

11. An electrical Water heater comprising a supporting member, contact terminals mounted thereon, a plurality of heating elcments located on said supporting member, contact terminals onpsaid heating elements adapted to operatively engage the contact terminals on said supporting member, said heating elements and terminals being adapted to be quickly removed as a unit, from said supporting member, a heat insulating` jacket surrounding said heating elements and means for holding said jacket in its operative position.

12. In an electrical Water heater, in combination, a terminal box, a plurality of contact terminals therein, a plurality of superposed electric heating units located* above and supported by said terminal box, and means for electrically connecting said heating units to each other, for maintaining them in operative position relatively to each other, and for electrically connecting them to said contact terminals.

13. In an electrical Water heater, in combination, a terminal box, a plurality of contact terminals therein, a plurality of superposed electric heating units located above and supported by said terminal box, and means for electrically connecting said heating units to each other, for maintaining them in operative position relatively to each other, and for electrically connecting the said heating units to said contact terminals by placing them in proper operative position on said terminal box.

In testimony whereof, ive have hereunto subscribed our names this 6th day of July,

FRANK THORNTON, JR. FRANK E. FORSHEE. 

